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Brontosaurus
Brontosaurus baxteri ("thunder lizard") is an 80-120 feet long species of sauropod dinosaur. An enormous, viviparous apatosaurine diplodocid from Skull Island, Brontosaurus is one of the biggest plant-eating sauropods of Skull Island. Huge and bulky beasts, they are probably not very intelligent. Most Brontosaurus live in herds alongside other plant-eating dinosaurs or sometimes by themselves to confuse any predators that attack them. If they can't hide or run from predators they use their natural weapons such as their tails because with one devastating blow of the tail, the attacker will fall and get wounded or worse. Description The largest animals on Skull Island, the mighty Brontosaurus are capable of reaching lengths of 80-120 feet. Their long necks allow these sauropods to browse foliage as high as 20 feet above of the ground and their massive bulk places full-grown Brontosaurus well outside the weight class of almost all of the island’s predators. Though superficially similar to their extinct prehistoric ancestors, the Brontosaurus of Skull Island have developed several distinct features that allow them to flourish. Unlike sauropods of the Mesozoic era (as well as most other dinosaurs in general), they are viviparous, giving birth between one and three live young at a time. The major physiological development is in response to the constraints of island living. A slower reproduction rate keeps the population in balance with the smaller habitat and fewer resources. Live born young, able to walk within hours of birth, reduce juvenile mortality thanks to the security afforded to them by being able to move within the safety of the herd. Young are cared for and protected by all other members of the herd, which can number between 6 and 20 individuals. Regardless of their parenthood, all members of the herd will share duties of protecting young from predators. As they mature, young females will leave to join other herds, while young males stay with the group to assist in defense. The sheer size of the adults protects them from almost all of the island’s predators, but young are at risk from V. rexes and other large carnivores. With a single adult male leading each herd, younger males are inhibited from achieving full maturity by pheromones exuded by the lead male, ensuring he fathers all the herd’s offspring. Immature males, rarely achieving even the size of mature females, are therefore more likely targets for marauding V. rexes, effectively decoys for breeding stock of the herd. Brontosaurus is the tallest herbivore on the island, browsing on the highest of branches at 55 feet above the ground, while the Ligocristus and other midsized herbivores browse on smaller trees that are typically 25 feet above the ground. Ceratopsians (namely Ferrucutus) feed on the low shrubs, ferns, and grasses that grow 4.5 feet tall or shorter, and smaller plant-eaters (like Pugiodorsus and certain flightless birds) feed around them at ground level (or at 10 feet above the ground); thus each herbivore species avoids competing with each other for food. When the herd is separated during feeding, Brontosaurus communicate with one another by stomping signals that are transmitted through the ground over short distances and received by other members of the herd through the pads of their feet. Simple alarms can be easily transmitted by individuals feeding on the outskirts of the family group, alerting the entire herd to any danger. Apart from their size, the primary defense mechanism of a Brontosaurus is its strong tail. When threatened, a well-aimed swipe can wind or even injure an unwary predator. The towering herbivores are also responsible for clearing old and new areas of forest growth in their quest for the most digestible food sources. Moving through the jungle between the open lands, families of Brontosaurus create game trails, clearing paths through the thick forest with their great strength. Skull Island dung beetles will follow herbivores like these and eat their scat. Skeletal Structure Sturdy skeletons support the great hulk of the Brontosaurus. Stocky legs with incredibly dense limb bones support the creature’s mass. Capable of running only for short bursts when threatened, they are not built for sprinting and, being so heavy, will tire quickly. The teeth are short and stubby, designed for tearing off pieces of vegetation. Stones in the gizzard aid digestion of foliage that is bulk-loaded and swallowed without being chewed. Relationship with Venatosaurus Venatosaurus is the only predator species that actively preys on adult Brontosaurus. No other predator on the island, except possibly V. rexes, can match the size of the prey they bring down. Packs split, certain members strategically revealing themselves to panic and stampede a Brontosaurus herd in a predetermined direction. Flankers take up the chase, molesting the giants onto a course they have selected; across dangerously broken ground, over bluffs, or into dead ends. Injury or death among the herd lays meat upon the Venatosaurus’ table, rewarding their cunning with rich bounties of carcasses large enough to feed a pack for a week or more. The crumbling pre-native ruins dotting Skull Island create unusual landscapes that Venatosaurus learn to use to their benefit. Herding prey down what must once have been streets and into cul-de-sac courtyards, hunting packs make use of the alleyways and channels between buildings to afford them ambush sites and parallel paths to outrun and outflank intended victims once a chase has begun. These tactics require fewer hunters to accomplish the same job. Broken ground and gulches created by the ruins make effective traps for Venatosaurus to drive prey into for slaughter. History King Kong (1933 film) In the 1933 film, a Brontosaurus emerges from within a river and attacks Denham's men on their raft and capsizes it, then gets onto land and chases them. One of the men climbs up a tree and tries to fend off the dinosaur, but the Brontosaurus snatches and bites him to death with its mouth. Son of Kong (1933 film) A creature similar to Brontosaurus (an un-specified similar species with some distinct scaley frills) also appears in "film Son of Kong" from 1933, crying out as the storm-battered island is sinking. It seems unlikely that many Brontosaurs perished as most paleontologists agree that sauropods were competent swimmers (as seen in the river scene) and probably also traveled between islands by swimming. King Kong (2005 film) A herd of Brontosaurs in the 2005 film are first seeing grazing in a field near the valley. Carl Denham spots the Brontosaurs to include them in his film, asking for the nervous Bruce Baxter to walk into the shot because he's supposed to be the star of the movie. Baxter is intimidated and asks: "Are you sure about this Denham? Don't we have a stand in for this type of thing?". But Carl insists that: "I need you in the shot or people will say they're fake." Baxter then disagrees by saying: "Oh, nobody's gonna think these are fake!". Suddenly the Brontosaurs are spooked by the sounds of a stalking pack of Venatosaurus and end up stampeding through the valley and around a mountain cliff side (due to the Venatosaurus chasing them) which kill at least six people of Carl Denham's group (while he somehow survives by running between the legs of the running Brontosaurus): One man was crushed beneath one of the giant feet, another is crushed between a giant leg and one of the rocky walls and his corpse is dragged along it. One man is pushed by one of the giant feet off a cliff and falls thousands of feet to his death and [[Venture Crewmember 9|another man slides over a rolling Brontosaur's body and gets flattened underneath it.]] After three of the Brontosaurs fall off the cliff, one is shot by group member Bruce Baxter while trying to shoot a Venatosaurus, causing it to fall and trip the rest of the stampeding herd. Kong may have helped the Brontosaurus offscreen. In Video Game Brontosaurus appear in the 2005 video game adaptation of the movie. They are invincible and do not intentionally attack as they are only migrating but will cause Jack damage if he collides with their large tree trunk legs, ironically this can also be used to Jack's advantage when he confronts any predators: the trick is to get one right in the sauropod's paths (be it by luring them in with bait, or stunning them with a weapon), who will then finish the enemy(s) off. On the incidentally named "Brontosaurs" stage, Jack will need to follow a herd of Brontosaurs down a valley to get some fire and clear a path for him, Hayes and Denham. Once Jack collects the fire he needs, the Brontosaurs will start stampeding because a V. rex catches and kills one but then starts chasing the three men until they reach the checkpoint. Trivia *In the book "The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island" (from 2005) Brontosaurus is described also as a species of dinosaur that gives live birth instead of laying eggs. *In the 2005 film, during the water chase scene, a Brontosaurus was replaced by a Pirhanadon, and by a herd of plant eating species in the valley. *The Brontosaurus in the 1933 film is a carnivore, but in the 2005 remake it is portrayed as herbivorous like the real one. Maybe in the 1933 film it wasn't really chasing the men to eat them, instead it was just chasing them away from its territory, like modern day hippos do. *In the (badly) colorized version of the 1933 film, the Brontosaurus and all the flora are the same light pastel green color. *The Brontosaurus's snapping jaws are similar to that of the Elasmosaurus in Son of Kong (1933). *In 2015, recent evidence discovered by paleontologists show that Brontosaurus is actually a separate dinosaur species, and not the same as the similar Apatosaurus as once thought for a while. External links *Brontosaurus baxteri from Non-Alien Creatures Wikia Gallery KK_Brontosaurus_1.jpg|A herd of Brontosaurus during a stampede. FootDiagram.png FootSquish1.jpg Faceleg.jpg|The second man to lose his life in the stampede. Moments after he was crushed against a wall by a huge leg. (You can see his face pressed against the leg on the right) Image47.jpg|A man is kicked by one of the giant feet off a cliff to his death thousands of feet below. Image65.jpg|The result of the stampede, they'll never get up! Brontosaurus2.jpg Category:Creatures Of Skull Island Category:Dinosaurs Category:Sauropoda Category:Creatures from original King Kong Category:Deceased characters Category:Killed by Bruce Baxter Category:Characters who fall to there deaths Category:Heroes Category:Herbivores Category:Animals Category:Son of Kong Category:King Kong (2005) Category:Skull Island animals Category:Aquatic life Category:Venatomothra